Centuries ago, while everyone looked at the earth as the centre, Nicolaus Copernicus asked them to look at the sun as the centre. The Copernican Revolution is a shift from a geocentric understanding to a heliocentric understanding.
During his recent visit to Slovakia on 14th September 2021, Pope Francis spoke to the young people about a Copernican shift in their personal lives with regard to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
I am not the Centre
What is this Copernican shift? It is the understanding that, with my sins, I am not the centre in the Sacrament of Confession. At the centre is the encounter with God who welcomes, embraces, forgives and raises me up. We go to confession as children run to embrace their parent. Pope Francis says, “God is never ashamed of you. God loves you right there, where you are ashamed of yourself. And God loves you always. Does God take offence? No, never. God suffers when we think He can’t forgive us, because it is like telling Him, ‘You are weak in love!’ Instead, God rejoices in forgiving us, every time. When He raises us up, He believes in us as He did the first time. He does not get discouraged. We are the ones who are discouraged, He is not. He does not see sinners to label, but children to love. He does not see people who have erred, but beloved children; wounded, perhaps; and then He has even more compassion and tenderness. And every time we confess — never forget this — there is a celebration in Heaven. May it be the same on earth!”
Fr Leon Cruz SDB
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